My wife, Ann, read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here, for the purposes of this review, I interview her about A Darkly Hidden Truth:
Who were your favorite characters in this story?
Antony and Felicity, most definitely. Oh, and Felicity’s mother, Cynthia too. I liked her.
Why?
Part of my interest in these two was the relationship they had with each other. They’re in a relationship that is uncertain from the beginning. In fact, as the book begins, they don’t even really know IF they’re in a relationship. The interplay between the two, the questions they ask of themselves and the circumstances they are thrown into make you follow this all the way through to the end of the book. And even then, you’re left hanging about where this couple might end up.
Did you find the plot engaging? How so?
Yes, very much. There’s so much history going on here in this story, it’s no wonder this mystery was so difficult to solve. It almost seemed like Antony and Felicity were caught up in the flow of the historical, trying to gleans clues. I also got caught up in how Felicity, who is trying to find her path in life––whether to become a nun or not––ends up at all these spiritual centers and the plot just wraps itself around her.
Were there characters you didn’t enjoy? Why?
Oh, I didn’t like Cyril, almost from the beginning. Something about him made me feel creepy. And when one of the other key characters in the story gets caught in his web of deceit, I really wanted to jump in and rescue that person.
What did you think of the relationship between Antony and Felicity?
I think until Felicity could even figure out and explore the options for her own life, she really didn’t know what the relationship could be. Sometimes you need to come to a crisis in your life to figure these things out. A crisis happens to her, via Antony, that brings this into very stark focus.
The relationship between Felicity and her mother, Cynthia, is not in the best of shape. As a mother, how did this affect you?
I don’t think Cynthia backed down from the hard questions or accusations her own daughter would ask or make. Cynthia was willing to take the heat and explain herself. She even expresses a measure of regret at how things had been. Cynthia is clearly a very strong woman of clear convictions; when she sets her mind to something, she’s going to do it. And, at times, Felicity realizes she has misjudged her mother regarding some things and there is movement toward forgiveness and reconciliation in the story line.
Did you find yourself wishing you’d read the first book in the series in order to stay up with the plot here?
No, I didn’t need to have read the first one. I know there are connections, but I could read this as a stand alone novel. You may not know much about a previous murder that brought these two together in this book, but that doesn’t affect your reading here.
Would you read the next book in the series?
Oh yes. I would like to read that one too because I want to know what happens next in the relationship between Antony and Felicity. There are far too many open questions in A Darkly Hidden Truth for me to know where it will go next.
On a personal note from this Cluttered Mind: I started to read this book and did not finish. The reasons will go unmentioned here; they aren’t terribly important anyway. However, there were parts of what I did read that I thought quite good, such as the author’s descriptive imagery of place and people. The reader will have no difficulty seeing, with their mind’s eye, the scenes depicted. When author’s do their “homework,” as Crow has clearly done, it shows in their writing, most prominently in the wonderfully detailed descriptiveness.
About the Book––Felicity has decided to become a nun. She departs to visit convents in spite of her mother's imminent arrival and Fr. Anselm's request that she and Fr. Antony recover a missing priceless Russian icon before the Patriarch of Moscow arrives at the community for Holy Week.
Felicity's discernment journey takes her to Rempstone, Norwich, London, and Walsingham, but her discovery of a friend's murdered body in a shallow grave, the disappearance of more icons, the shooting of a London art expert just after she visits him, the disappearance of Antony, and finally the abduction of Felicity and her mother teach her far more about motherhood, life, and love than she could learn in any convent retreat. Breathtaking chase scenes, mystical worship services, dashes through remote water-logged landscapes, the wisdom of ancient holy women, and the arcane rites of The Knights of St. John of Malta keep the pages turning. And will Felicity choose the veil--or Antony?
About the Author––Donna Fletcher Crow is author of more than thirty-five novels. She has twice won first place in the Historical Fiction category from the National Association of Press Women, and has also been a finalist for "Best Inspirational Novel" from the Romance Writers of America. She is a member of The Arts Centre Group, and Sisters in Crime. www.donnafletchercrow.com
A Darkly Hidden Truth is available from Kregel Publications. Order your copy from Kregel.com, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com or Christianbook.com
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes only.